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Saint Mary and Saint Mary the Virgin both redirect here. See Saint Mary's for entities named after St. Mary. This article is about the historical and multi-denominational concept of Mary. See Virgin Mary for specific religious concepts of Mary. According to the and Saint Anne . A theory says that her father's name was Heli, mentioned in the Genealogy Of Luke . Mary, being a Virgin , knew from the angel Gabriel , a divine messenger sent by God, she will conceive Jesus, the Son of the living God , by a Miracle of the Holy Spirit . Mary is the subject of much veneration due to Luke 1:48 ("for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed") in the Christian faith, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Church , and is also highly regarded by Muslims. The area of Christian Theology concerning her is Mariology . The feast of the nativity of Mary is celebrated in the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican Churches on 8 September . The Orthodox and Catholic Churches also celebrate many other feast days in honour of Mary. TITLES GIVEN TO MARY Mary's most common titles include ''The Blessed Virgin Mary '' or ''Our Lady'' (''Notre Dame, Nuestra Señora, Madonna''). Mary is frequently referred to by the Orthodox Church and Related Traditions within the Catholic Church as Theotokos , a title recognized at the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus in 431. Theotokos is often translated into English as "Mother of God," or more literally as "Godbearer" or "Birthgiver of God." The theological significance of the title is that Mary's son, Jesus, is fully God as well as fully human, and that Jesus' two natures (divine and human) were united in a single Person. HISTORICAL RECORDS Mary in the New Testament delivering the Annunciation to Mary. Painting by El Greco (1575)]] Little is known of Mary's personal history from the New Testament. She was a relative of , or feeding trough, as a crib. After eight days, the boy was circumcised and called Jesus, in accordance with the instructions that the "angel of the Lord had" given to Joseph after the Annunciation to Mary, because this name signifies that "he to save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:25, Luke 2:21; cf. Matthew 1:21). These customary ceremonies were followed by Jesus's presentation to the Lord at the Temple in Jerusalem in accordance with the law for the firstborn, then the visit of the and being found among the teachers in the temple (Luke 2:41-52). Probably some time between this event and the opening of Jesus' public ministry Mary was widowed, for Joseph is not mentioned again. After Jesus' " or "piety". According to (Revelation 12:1). Her death is not recorded in Scripture. Later Christian writings and traditions According to the Gospel Of James , which, though not part of the New Testament , contains biographical material about Mary considered "plausible" by some Orthodox and Catholic Christians, she was the daughter of Joachim and Anna . Before Mary's conception, Anna had been barren, and her parents were quite old when she was conceived. They took her to live in the Temple In Jerusalem when she was three years old, much like Hanna took Samuel to the Tabernacle , as recorded in the Old Testament (Tanakh, Hebrew Bible). by Fra Angelico ]] According to Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox tradition, between three and fifteen years after Christ's Ascension, in either Jerusalem or Ephesus, Mary died; while surrounded by the Apostles . Later, when the apostles opened her tomb, they found it empty, and concluded that she had been bodily Assumed into Heaven . (" Mary's Tomb " - a tomb in Jerusalem is attributed to Mary, but it was unknown until the 6th Century .) Mary in the Qur'an
Mary, mother of Jesus, enjoys a singularly distinguished and honored position amongst women in the Qur'an : She is the only woman directly named in the Book; declared (uniquely along with Jesus) to be a ''Ayat Allah'' or ''Sign of The God'' to mankind (23.50); as one who "''guarded her chastity''" (66.12); an ''obedient one'' (66.12); ''chosen of her mother'' and dedicated to Allah whilst still in the womb to the-God (3.36); uniquely (amongst women) ''Accepted into service by Allah'' (3.37); cared for by (the and uniquely had access to Al- Mihrab (understood to be the Holy Of Holies ), and was provided with heavenly 'provisions' by Allah (3:37); a ''Chosen One'' (3.42); a ''Purified One'' (3.42); a ''Truthful one'' (5.75); a ''fulfillment of Prophecy'' (66.12); a ''vessel for the Spirit of The-God breathed into her'' (66.12); her child conceived through ''"a Word from The-God"'' (3.45); and ''"exalted above all women of The Worlds/Universes"'' (3.42). The Qur'an relates detailed narrative accounts of Maryam (Mary) in two places: 3:35-47 and 19:16-34. The account given in ( Sura 19 of) The Qur'an is nearly identical with that in the Gospel according to Luke , and it should be noted that both of these (Luke, Sura 19) begin with an account of the visitation of an angel upon Zakariya (Zecharias) and ''Good News of the birth of Yahya (John)'', followed by the account of the Annunciation . The account in ( Sura 3 of) the Qur'an tracks the accounts in Apocrypha , namely the Gospel Of Pseudo-Matthew and the Gospel Of James , regarding the use of "rods" to determine a guardian/husband after she reached the age of puberty (3.44), and, the account of the scandal caused upon the discovery of her with child (19.27-28), both of which are not recorded in the canonical Gospels. Finally, the Qur'an describes Mary (Maryam) as "sister of Harun" (19.28-29) and "daughter of Imran" (66.12). Harun is the Arabic form of the Hebrew Aaron , while Imran is an Arabic form of the Hebrew Amram. Amran was the father of " Aaron , Moses and Miriam " in the Old Testament (Numbers 26.59). The title "sister of Aaron" is further given to Miriam in the Old Testament . Based on this, some commentators have posited a confusion in the Qur'an between Mary, mother of Jesus and Miriam , sister of Moses . This is denied by other commentators, who argue that the similarity in family names is either coincidental or metaphorical. CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM BELIEFS ABOUT MARY Immaculate Conception of Mary : ''Main article: Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that states that Mary was filled with grace from the very moment of her conception in her mother's womb. Only the Roman Catholic Church has officially adopted this teaching, and the title "Immaculate Conception" is one used only by Catholics. The Eastern Orthodox Church rejects the Immaculate Conception on the basis that without original sin (i.e. fallen human nature), Mary would have likewise been separated from the rest of us by a special condition. Rather, the Orthodox believe that Mary was conceived like any one of us, inherited the sin of Adam, but was cleansed from it when Christ God took form within her. This, coupled with the belief that she never committed any sin made her the perfect vessel. Most Protestants reject the idea that Mary was saved by God from her very first moment, since they consider it unscriptural; and since sin nature is passed on by the man, Mary did not need to be sin-less to give birth to a son without a sin nature. The Roman Catholic Church observes the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th. Similarly, the Orthodox Church observes the Feast of the Conception by Saint Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos on December 9th. Muslims believe in the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, despite the difference in their idea of sin and temptation. However, the consensus among Muslim scholars is that Mary, unlike the entire mankind, was born immune to temptation, whether by Satan, or by base instincts. She was born devout and naturally pious. And as mentioned in chapter three in the Qur'an, her mother's supplication to God, was so well received, that God bestowed the same status on Jesus-not being considered divine in Muslim scriptures-as well as the Virgin Birth. :3: 36. Remember when a women of Imran said, 'My Lord, I have vowed to Thee what is in my womb to be dedicated to Thy service. So do Thou accept it of me; Verily Thou alone art All-Hearing, All-Knowing.' :3: 37. But when she was delivered of it, she said, 'My Lord, I am delivered of a female,' - and Allah knew best of what she was delivered and the male she desired to have was not like the female she was delivered of - 'and I have named her Mary, and I commit her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan, the rejected.' :3: 38. So her Lord accepted her with gracious acceptance and caused her to grow an excellent growth and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the chamber, he found with her provisions. He said, 'O Mary whence hast thou this?' She replied, 'It is from Allah.' Surely Allah gives to whomsoever He pleases without measure. Mary's age Whilst the teaching of the Catholic Church that Mary was a virgin is not accepted by a number of liberal Christian scholars who argue that the Greek term ''parthenos'' in Luke 1:27 does not necessarily have to mean "virgin {Link without Title} " but that there is also evidence for it signifying any "young woman", it is generally agreed that Mary was very young when she conceived Jesus. On the other hand, the "young woman" evidence is based on the Isaiah prophecy hundreds of years prior and is taken from the Hebrew language. Other Christian scholars point out that Joseph "kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son" in Matthew 1:25, and it is difficult for the meaning to be "young woman" and not "virgin," as well as the fact that a young woman conceiving would not be much of a sign as a virgin conceiving (see ). Some insight into traditions concerning her later life, e.g., that she died between three and 15 years after the Crucifixion of Jesus, can be found in the New Testament Apocrypha . Assuming that Jesus was crucified in his 30s, there is also little reason to doubt that his mother could still be alive at the time of his death, or that she could have witnessed it (cf. Jn 19:25). Virgin Birth of Jesus , Mount Sinai , Egypt , 16th century.]] : ''Main article: Nativity The Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed both refer to Mary as "the Virgin Mary". This alludes to the belief that Mary conceived Jesus through the action of God the Holy Spirit , and not through intercourse with Joseph or anyone else. That she was a virgin at this time is affirmed by Eastern Christianity, Roman Catholicism and by many (though not all) Protestants. Denial of this is considered heretical by Catholics and Eastern Orthodox (and Evangelicals ) alike. Historic Christianity, including modern-day Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, teaches that she was a virgin before, during, and after giving birth to Jesus. Islam also takes this position, which is stated explicitly in the Quran (3:47). Some Protestants also hold this view, while many others believe that she was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus, but that she later was not and had other children with her husband, Joseph . Catholics and Orthodox explain references to Jesus' brothers as either cousins, or as step-brothers who were Joseph's children by a prior marriage. Pope Boniface VIII was alleged to have denied the virginity of Mary. The and the Gospel Of Luke asserted that Mary had "no relations with man" before Jesus' birth. Persons who are neither Christians nor Muslims generally doubt that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. An early view critical of the virgin birth suggests that Mary had relations with a Roman soldier and then married Joseph who protected her from the harsh Jewish laws of the time which would have sentenced her to death by stoning for such an act. This version is recorded by Origen in the third century and attributed to Celsus of the second century, who said he heard it from a Jew, in Origen's ''Contra Celsum'' 1.28-32. Also see: ''Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological Interpretation of the Infancy Narratives'' (Biblical Seminar Series, No 28), Jane Schaberg, ISBN 1850755337. Furthermore, some , suggest the Historical Method can never comment on the likelihood of supernatural occurrences. Virgin birth of Jesus in the Qu'ran The Qur'an quite decisively declares that Jesus was the result of a virgin birth, but that neither she nor her son were divine, but merely "honoured servants" (21.26). The most detailed account of the Annunciation and birth of Jesus is provided in Sura 3 and 19 of The Qur'an wherein it is written that Allah/The-God sent an angel to announce that she could shortly expect to bear a son, despite being a virgin:
The Qur'an also declares that one of the reasons (amongsts many listed) for the punishments of The-God upon the '' People Of The Book '' -- "Allah has sealed their hearts" (4.155) -- is for their "uttering a monsterous lie against Mary" (4.156). This is generally understood to refer to the accusations of wanton unchastity which was directed by some jews against Mary in her lifetime and which remain recorded in the Talmud . Sura 5 Signs 116-119 of The Qur'an includes the Prophecy of the Judgement Day where "Jesus son of Mary" will be questioned by Allah as regards to those who worship him and Mary, and that Jesus will deny them:
Theotokos ("Mother of God") : ''Main article: Theotokos At the Third Ecumenical Council , the Council Of Ephesus (against the Nestorians ), A.D. 431, it was decided that it was entirely appropriate to refer to Mary as the '' Theotokos '', to emphasize that Mary's child, Jesus Christ, was in fact God (Denziger §111a). That Council clarified that the Church Fathers "did not hesitate to speak of the holy Virgin as the Mother of God" (ibid.), thus affirming what had always been held as true: e.g. St. Ignatius of Antioch, ca. A.D. 110 (Jurgens §42); Alexander of Alexandria, A.D. 328 (Jurgens §680); among other references from similar sources. She is often referred to as "Theotokos" in Eastern Orthodox hymns. The Qur'an quite decisively declares that neither Mary nor her son Jesus were divine, but merely "honoured servants" (21.26). Perpetual virginity : ''Main article: Perpetual Virginity Of Mary That Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus is a doctrinal stance of the Catholic, Eastern, and Oriental Orthodox churches. Of the early fathers of the Church, only Tertullian seems to have questioned the teaching. The question of Mary's virginity is related to the interpretation of the New Testament references to Jesus' "brothers". Those who defend the doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity point out that Aramaic , the language spoken by Christ and his disciples, lacked a specific word for "cousin," so that the word "brother" was used instead. This is also true in Hebrew, and there are several places in the Old Testament that use the word "brother" to mean nephew or cousin. Others argue that Jesus' "brothers" were sons of Joseph by a previous wife - and thus Jesus' stepbrothers, who would have been regarded as his half-brothers by the people Jesus and Mary lived alongside, who were unaware of Jesus' divinity and assumed him to be the son of Joseph. Matthew 13:56 and Mark 6:3 also mention the presence of "sisters" in addition to the "brothers". The most prominent leaders of the . They say this would not be done if a relative of Mary were able to take her into his or her own family. However, it is also said that Jesus' brothers were not believers (John 7:5) until after the resurrection (Acts 1:14), so some believe Jesus entrusts Mary to John, the beloved apostle, for that reason. Islam teaches that Mary conceived Jesus as a virgin, but that Jesus had a single parent (Mary) and was not the Son of God. Muslims also believe that Mary remained a virgin for her entire life. Dormition and Assumption : ''Main article: Assumption Of Mary For Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics alike, Mary's Assumption , i.e., the lifting up of her body into Heaven after her death, is seen as a concrete and present instance of the Resurrection of the body, a belief integral to Christian theology and found in the creeds. The Doctrine in Anglicanism Most Anglicans have a higher regard for St.Mary than other Protestants. Nevertheless, mainly Dulia is applied to her honour. There are, however, optional feast days, that, while not binding, are celebrated by some Anglicans, such as the Assumption. The Assumption is celebrated on August 15. Anglicanism also denies that Mary was conceived without sin. The tradition of the Anglican Church holds that Mary died, and that after her death and burial, she was not resurrected but that her soul was transported to heaven without her body. The doctrine in Roman Catholicism The belief in the corporeal assumption of Mary was formally declared to be . The Feast of the Assumption is celebrated on August 15 . The promulgated dogma is not worded so as to force the issue as to whether she experienced death prior to her Assumption, as there is no theological basis for doing so. Ludwig Ott (Bk. III, Pt. 3, Ch. 2, §6) states that "the fact of her death is almost generally accepted by the Fathers and Theologians, and is expressly affirmed in the Liturgy of the Church," to which he adduces a number of helpful citations, and concludes that "for Mary, death, in consequence of her freedom from original sin and from personal sin, was not a consequence of punishment of sin. However, it seems fitting that Mary's body, which was by nature mortal, should be, in conformity with that of her Divine Son, subject to the general law of death." In keeping with the historical consensus of the Church, Pius XII himself almost certainly rejected the notion of Mary's "immortality" (the idea that she never suffered death), preferring the more widely accepted understanding that her assumption took place ''after'' her physical death. The doctrine in Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy The tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church holds that Mary died, and that after her death and burial, she was not resurrected but that her body was miraculously transposed into heaven, as were the bodies of Enoch , Moses and Elijah . This two-fold event is celebrated as the ''Dormition'' ("falling asleep") of the Theotokos. The Feast of the Dormition is celebrated on August 15, and is preceded by a fourteen day fast from meat and dairy products, the third longest fast of the Liturgical Year after Great Lent and Winter Lent . Despite the great importance of this feast in the Orthodox liturgical calendar, it is not considered a matter of dogma as in the Catholic Church (dogmatization of the Dormition for the Roman Catholic Church was formalized by a Roman Catholic pope after the Great Schism , whose authority Eastern Orthodoxy did not recognize). RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES TOWARDS MARY Veneration of Mary: Divisions Among Christians , Catacomb Of Priscilla , Rome .]] Roman Catholic, Orthodox and some Anglican Christians Venerate Mary, as do the non-Chalcedonian or Oriental Orthodox, a communion of churches that has been traditionally deemed Monophysite (such as the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt and the Ethiopian Tewahedo Church ). This veneration especially takes the form of Prayer for intercession with her Son, Jesus Christ. Additionally it includes composing poems and songs in Mary's honor, painting icons or carving statues representing her, slighty kneeling before such images as a token of respect to the one portrayed by them, and conferring titles on Mary that reflect her position among the saints. She is also one of the most highly venerated Saint s in both the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church; several major feast days are devoted to her each year. (See Liturgical Year .) Protestants have generally payed only a small amount of rerverence to the Blessed Virgin than their Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox cousins, often arguing that if too much attention is focused on Mary, there is a danger of detracting from the worship due to God alone. By contrast, certain documents of the Second Vatican Council, such as chapter VIII of the dogmatic constitution ''Lumen Gentium'' describe Mary as higher than all other created beings, even angels: "she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth"; but still in the final analysis, a created being, solely human - not divine - in her nature. On this showing, Catholic traditionalists would argue that there is no conflation [http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=conflation of the human and divine levels in their veneration of Mary. for the cathedral at Aix-en-Provence shows the apparition in the Burning Bush as the Blessed Virgin in a bower of flaming roses.]] The major origin and impetus of veneration of Mary comes from the Christological controversies of the early church - many debates denying in some way the divinity or humanity of Jesus Christ. So not only would one side affirm that Jesus was indeed God, but would assert the conclusion that Mary was the mother of God, although Protestants like to use the term God-bearer better. Both Roman Catholics and Orthodox, and especially Anglicans, make a clear distinction between such veneration (which is also due to the other saints) and '', due only to God, and usually translated by the English word ''adoration''; '' Hyperdulia '', accorded only to the Blessed Virgin Mary, usually translated simply as ''veneration''; and '' Dulia '', accorded to the rest of the saints, also usually translated as ''veneration''. The Orthodox distinguish between worship and veneration but do not accept a sort of "hyper"-veneration only for the Theotokos . Protestants and Anglicans consider hyperdulia to be rivaling to latria, and Anglicans are content to give St.Mary only dulia, or "honour." The surge in the veneration of Mary in the High Middle Ages owes some of its initial impetus to Bernard Of Clairvaux . Bernard expanded upon Anselm Of Canterbury 's role in transmuting the sacramental ritual Christianity of the Early Middle Ages into a new, more personally held faith, with the life of Christ as a model and a new emphasis on the Virgin Mary. In opposition to the rational approach to divine understanding that the schoolmen adopted, Bernard preached an immediate faith, in which the intercessor was the Virgin Mary. "the Virgin that is the royal way, by which the Savior comes to us." "Bernard played the leading role in the development of the Virgin cult, which is one of the most important manifestations of the popular piety of the twelfth century. In early medieval thought the Virgin Mary had played a minor role, and it was only with the rise of emotional Christianity in the eleventh century that she became the prime intercessor for humanity with the deity." (Cantor 1993 p 341) vian Cult ]] Some early Protestants venerated and honored Mary. Martin Luther said Mary is "the highest woman," that "we can never honour her enough," that "the veneration of Mary is inscribed in the very depths of the human heart," and that Christians should "wish that everyone know and respect her." John Calvin said, "It cannot be denied that God in choosing and destining Mary to be the Mother of his Son, granted her the highest honor." Zwingli said, "I esteem immensely the Mother of God," and, "The more the honor and love of Christ increases among men, so much the esteem and honor given to Mary should grow." Thus the idea of respect and high honour was not rejected by the first Protestants; but, they came to criticize the Catholics for blurring the line, between high admiration of the grace of God wherever it is seen in a human being, and religious service given to another creature. The Roman Catholic practice of celebrating saints' days and making intercessory requests addressed especially to Mary and other departed saints they considered (and consider) to be Idolatry . With the exception of some portions of the Anglican Communion , Protestantism usually follows the reformers in rejecting the practice of directly addressing Mary and other saints in prayers of admiration or petition, as part of their religious worship of God. Protestants will not typically call the respect or honor that they may have for Mary ''veneration'' because of the special religious significance that this term has in the Catholic practice.
Joint Anglican-Roman Catholic document On , by Alexander Brunett , the local Catholic Archbishop , and Peter Carnley , Anglican Archbishop of Perth, Western Australia , co-chairmen of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission ( ARCIC ). The joint document is said to seek a common understanding to help both churches agree on the theological reasoning behind the Catholic dogmas, despite Anglicans not accepting the papal authority that underpins them. Carnley has reportedly said that Anglican concerns, that dogmas about Mary are not provable by scripture, would "disappear", with the document discussing that Anglicans would stop opposition to Roman Catholic teachings of the Immaculate Conception (defined in 1854) and the Assumption of Mary (defined in 1950) as being "consonant" with the Biblical teachings. Non-Abrahamic worship of Mary Some followers of non-Abrahamic religions, particularly followers of Wicca , link Mary to the Earth Mother of various Neo-pagan traditions. Some Buddhists have even been known to link Mary to Kwan-Yin , a Bodhisattva of compassion venerated by various Chinese Buddhist faiths. Followers of Santería identify Mary (as Our Lady of Regla) with the goddess Yemaja , and (as "Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre") with Oshun . MARY AND SHAKESPEARE In sixteenth-century England, veneration of Mary was a central issue in public controversy about the sense of Scriptural text, religious images, and religious practices in Christian life. Some leading figures in sixteenth-century England considered pilgrimages to Marian Shrine s and praying the Rosary to be un-Scriptural, "superstitious", and/or idolatrous. From 1535 to 1538, under orders from Henry VIII , all Christian shrines in England were destroyed because Protestant reformers believed they were a corrupting spiritual influence. Many of these destroyed shrines were Marian, and they included the highly-popular shrine of Our Lady Of Walsingham , as well as other centres at Ipswich, Worcester, Doncaster, and Penrise. The shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham had been visited in pilgrimage by two of Henry's six wives, Catherine Of Aragon and Anne Boleyn , both of whom were dead by the time the shrine was destroyed in 1538 . At the same time, "Mary" rose dramatically in popularity, as a given name for baby girls in sixteenth-century England. About 1500, in Warwick County, England, perhaps only 1% of baby girls were named Mary. By 1600, the share of baby girls named Mary had risen to about 10%. {Link without Title} This change is remarkable, in light of extensive government efforts during that same time-period to extirpate veneration of Marian images, and to direct Christian worship to the written word. William Shakespeare had keen appreciation for the controversy over the "sense of Mary" in Christian life. Concern about the relationship between words and images, and players, shadows, and real persons, pervades Shakespeare's work. His play, '' Romeo And Juliet '', Act 1, Scene 5, includes a dialogue, formally organized as a sonnet, that uses Marian pilgrimage to figure Romeo's wooing of Juliet. The last scene in '' The Winter's Tale '' includes instructions from Paulina, that place Perdita in the position of asking the statue of Hermione for intercessory prayer, much as a pilgrim to a Marian shrine might have prayed before an image of Mary. Turmoil about the sense of Mary in sixteenth-century English history is closely-related to the development of Shakespeare's theatre, according to some Critic s. PORTRAYALS Mary has been portrayed in several films:
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